Are you or a loved one struggling with housing costs during or after cancer treatment? You are not alone. We understand the significant challenges that this journey can bring with it, especially when it comes to finances and staying on top of rent or mortgage, even if you are still able to keep working. Although the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation does not currently offer housing assistance programs or direct financial aid, we want to share resources with anyone facing these barriers so they can find the help they need.
Read on for a quick guide to finding help, depending on your current circumstances.
What Are Your Current Needs?
1. “I’ve been out of work due to treatment, and I’m worried about keeping up with my bills.”
Connect with an organization that provides financial aid assistance like the examples below. Some can even provide legal and insurance advice. This can be a long process, but we encourage folks to look at these applications like you would if you were applying for scholarships for school. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help if you have questions before you apply. Here are some resources:
- CancerLINC
CancerLINC is a Virginia-based organization that helps patients and their families overcome legal and financial obstacles when they need it most. It offers financial counseling services, legal services, community resources, and education sessions.
Phone: (804) 562-0371 - Patient Advocate Foundation’s Breast Cancer Resource Directory
This customizable tool allows patients with breast cancer or metastatic breast cancer, caregivers, and providers to identify critical resources that can help in situations of healthcare or financial crisis. There are many resources devoted to improving access to quality care and decreasing the financial burden of medical expenses for both uninsured and underinsured patients with breast and metastatic breast cancer.
Phone: (800) 532-5274 - The Pink Fund
The Pink Fund provides 90-day non-medical cost-of-living expenses to breast cancer patients in active treatment for breast cancer. Payments are made directly to the patient’s creditors.
Phone: (877) 234-7465 - CancerCare
Offers limited financial assistance for cancer-related costs and co-pays, and professional oncology social workers can help you find additional resources.
Phone: (800) 813-HOPE (4673)
Email: info@cancercare.org - VBCF Website’s Financial, Legal, and Insurance Resource Listings
We have created a list of financial, legal, and insurance resource links on our website for additional options. Click the link to see our full list.
2. “I need a safe temporary place to stay during treatment, but I can’t afford long-term lodging.”
As diverse as Virginia’s geography is, many people who live in our state may need to travel far away for medical treatment. Some areas have temporary lodging houses where patients can stay while they are undergoing treatment. See below for temporary lodging options for people currently going through treatment.
For more options that may be available, we recommend that patients contact their social worker or patient navigator where they are being treated. Click here to read our blog with more info about How Patient Navigators Can Help.)
- American Cancer Society’s Patient Lodging Programs
The American Cancer Society is trying to make travel for breast cancer treatment easier for both cancer patients and their families through its lodging programs, Hope Lodge Communities, and its partnership with Extended Stay America.
Phone: (800) 227-2345 - Evelyn D. Reinhart Guest House (Central VA)
The Evelyn D. Reinhart Guest House is a home away from home for caregivers of patients at St. Mary’s Hospital. Volunteers and community partners will stand by to answer questions, help locate necessary services and goods, and provide a sympathetic ear and a hand to hold.
Phone: 804-287-7300
Email: reinharthouse@bshsi.org - The Doorways – Between Healing & Home (Central VA)
The Doorways is Richmond’s premier provider of temporary lodging and non-medical services to patients and their families referred through participating Richmond-area hospital partners, including VCU Health, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Sheltering Arms Hospital, and the Veritas Collaborative.
Phone: (804) 828-6901 - Richmond Fisher House & Foundation (Central VA)
The Richmond Fisher House serves as a home away from home for the families of veterans receiving care at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is no fee to stay in a Fisher House.
Phone: 804-675-6639
Email: vharichmondfisherhouse@va.gov
3. “I am currently experiencing homelessness and need help finding a new place to live as soon as possible.”
There are many unique challenges that folks face when simultaneously dealing with homelessness and cancer. We encourage anyone who does not have a place to live to connect with these local resources to secure a safe place where you will have the ability to complete treatment in a peaceful environment.
- Virginia 2-1-1
A free service through the Commonwealth of Virginia that provides assistance 24/7. Visit the website or dial 2-1-1 to access state-wide resources. Visit the website or dial 2-1-1. - Homeward (Central VA)
A Central VA non-profit that provides a great range of resources and services for those in need, including:- Homeless Connection Line – 804-972-0813: Individuals or families currently homeless or within three days of losing their housing.
- Housing Resource Line – 804-422-5061: Downloadable ‘Street Sheets’ with resources listed by county.
For more options that may be available, we recommend patients contact their local housing authority or a local nonprofit that provides services for folks experiencing housing challenges or homelessness. (These organizations vary by region.)
